When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 12 Used as a Pawn

Hazel Hawthorne knew better than anyone how much Aiden Xavier loved Raina Lowell. After all, the only reason he’d married her was because of Raina.

Fiona Forrest didn’t approve of Raina and had even declared that Raina should never dream of stepping foot into the Xavier family home. To avoid being forced by his mother to marry some other woman, Aiden had chosen to partner up with Hazel.

His only goal was to have her hold the title of Mrs. Xavier for Raina, making it easier for Raina to marry into the family after he and Hazel divorced.

Hazel suddenly realized, ’Isn’t everything I’m doing now just clearing the way for Raina?’

As she’d thought, she was just a pawn, and Aiden Xavier was the one using her.

Still, her arrangement with Aiden was mutually beneficial. It wasn’t like she was getting the short end of the stick.

Having come to this conclusion, Hazel wandered back into the house. She had just been wondering why Aiden was back when she saw him coming down from the second floor, laptop bag in hand.

"You’re leaving again?" The question slipped out unconsciously.

To Aiden, it sounded like Hazel was asking him to stay.

Aiden walked up to Hazel and stopped. "Do you want me to stay?"

Hazel looked startled and quickly shook her head. "You’re reading too much into it. I was just thinking there was no way you’d actually come back. Turns out you were just grabbing your laptop."

"Getting your laptop is such a minor thing. You could have just sent your secretary. Why would a busy man like you make the trip yourself?" Hazel said casually. Looking at the bag in his hand, she couldn’t help but think something was wrong with his head.

"I won’t be around for a while. You’ll need to handle my mother," Aiden said, his face devoid of expression. It didn’t detract from his noble, princely air; if anything, it added the alluring charm of a cold, powerful CEO.

Hazel calmly averted her gaze. "I know."

of her for a while. If my

in. But I know what my role is, so you don’t have to worry." For a second, Hazel almost

Fiona’s fondness for Hazel was beyond his comprehension, but it was precisely why he had chosen to

do. Nothing’s even happened yet. If my mother-in-law finds out, we’ll figure out how to handle

father, but Hazel cut him off. "And

me when you’re out there

on that front. I’ll be working under

"See that

felt a wave of relief. She was more comfortable living here alone. When Raina had been

lady of the house, and Hazel was just

I actually believed for a second that he and

as gentle as water in front of the woman he loved. He was unbelievably

only thing he didn’t do was hold Raina in his arms and

hit her in the face. Aiden had clearly come to tell her he was going to be by Raina’s side for the

like this, the housekeeper couldn’t

unfit wife they

let her husband

child anymore; she

with her laptop and started searching for a suitable job. She had studied jewelry design in college, but finding a job

wasn’t a

a good way to gain experience. Besides, she hadn’t worked since college, so she was definitely lacking

immediately submitted her pre-written resume. All

she sent her resume to a few other companies as well,

really bother her or seriously

knew she wouldn’t find anything nice, but she couldn’t resist

Dylan Miller’s miscarriage had shot up the trending charts, holding steady in the top three with its popularity

was Dylan Miller, being interviewed by a reporter from what